Sunday, August 5, 2012

A Jones History Lesson for my grandchildren

They were such good sports when I explained to them that I wanted them to know a little bit of history about the Jones family.
First stop Hedley, where Poppa Ralph worked at the Nickel Plate Mine just after he and Grannie Bert had been married. Here they are on Mainstreet.


Matt and Veronica trying on the miners hats in the museum.



Here is a pictue of the buildings on the hillside of the Mascot Mine.
Outside of the museum you find a mine ore car, I tried to explain to them how Poppa Ralph would ride up the mountain in an empty ore car to get to work and then after work ride down on one of the loaded cars until someone decided this was to dangerous and the men constructed the broom system to get down, now I do not think that was less dangerous but what can I say.

Next stop the Princeton Cemetry where we visited the graves of Grannie and Pops Jones (Roy and Lena), they came to Canada 1812 and after a brief stop in the Jackpines settled on their ranch on the 5 mile out of Princeton.

Here they are looking at the grave markers for our dear Uncle Bud and Earl.

We then took a drive down Fenchurch street to see where Grannie and Pops house used to be and has now been replaced by a condo, then down main street to look at the building that I believe was the site of Auntie Thresas Sportsman Cafe.

Out to the ranch on the 5 mile, which is still owned by family today.


Veronica down on the lower level, can you imagine this all in gardens, they grew very good strawberries and were known as the Strawberry Jones'

 
Oh but nothing better than a dip at in the deep pool, can you imagine swimming in the same place as your great grandfather swam before.

Matt says oh this is awesome I could stay here forever.

Curt didn't swim but he enjoyed the ranch

The deep pool looks just as I remembered it.

After cooling down,  back up to the outbuildings, Veronica and Matt gathered many golf balls that they left back up by the driving green.

This was an old barn, of course I had to tell them how badly Poppa treated the old rooster.

It was a fabulous day, they all thanked me for taking them and I was so pleased they liked it. Veronica says can we come back next year but for a week.
Back to Keremeos and the temperature hit 104 degrees going thru Princeton on the back Hedly Road.